Partition structures made up of an assembly of panels and the like are widely used to divide the interior areas of buildings, such as offices and classrooms. Such structures are often referred to in the trade as "movable" walls or partitions. Modern partition systems are generally classified according to two types: namely those comprising panel members and posts, located at intervals along the wall, to which the panel members are affixed by a variety of hooks, clamps, and other interlocking means; and those which dispense with the need for posts by having the panels themselves directly interlockable with one another.
Systems utilizing the panel and post type construction are generally further characterized depending upon whether the posts are visible from the exterior surface of the wall, or are concealed in the interior of double-wall type construction. For aesthetic reasons the concealed post type construction is usually preferred because the continuity of the wall surface is maintained. Structures in which the panel members are connected to the posts so as to leave the posts visible from the exterior of the wall are however generally considered somewhat more practical from a functional point of view, in that bracket means for mounting shelves, cabinets and the like to the wall may be more readily installed, and because utilities such as electrical wiring, which are often carried through the posts, are more readily accessible.
The second major type of partition dispenses with the need for using separate posts by incorporating the means for interlocking adjoining panels into the ends of the panels themselves so that abutting panels form a single-line joint. This type of construction is generally considered to be most desirable in that it achieves the better aesthetic appearance of the concealed post and panel type construction, having smoother lines and a greater appearance of wall surface continuity than the visible-post type construction, while dispensing with the need for separate post elements.
Partition systems of any of the foregoing types of construction may generally extend either from the floor to the full height of the ceiling thereby creating a true wall, or they may be erected to a lesser height so as to function as a separator, dividing a large area into a number of separate smaller areas while leaving a common air space extending between the tops of the partitions and the ceiling overhead.
Wall panel members should be rigid, yet lightweight. Where postless type construction is used, it is particularly important that the wall panel members be capable of supporting their own weight without bowing or warping, as well as being capable of sustaining any active loads, such as cabinets or shelves, suspended from them. It is often important that the panel members have good thermal and acoustical insulating properties. Panel members are generally fabricated from sheet metal. Where double-panel construction is utilized, the interior space between the two panels is often filled with materials such as rock-wool or fiberglass insulation. It is also desirable that individual wall panel members be capable of being substituted with functional alternatives, such as doorways, glass panels, or windows.
Although numerous designs for partition systems have been proposed, none has been of a truly modular design. When reconfiguring a work space, it may often be advantageous to incorporate existing parts of a previously constructed partition, making only slight changes in layout. In such cases it it desirable to be able to merely rearrange or remove one or more individual panels, or replace them with functional alternatives such as doorways, rather than disassemble an entire wall section.
Unfortunately, many of the systems previously developed, although supposedly capable of easy assembly and disassembly, are not readily adaptable to situations requiring the removal or replacement of only single panel members. Because of the peculiarities of the methods of interlocking the individual panel and/or panel and post elements of previous systems, difficulties have been encountered in removing an individual panel member without disrupting an entire wall section and requiring the removal of at least the immediately adjacent panel member to either side of the panel which is to be removed, thus creating a sort of chain reaction effect. Moreover, some systems which nominally appear to allow the removal of an individual panel member without disrupting an entire wall section are not, in practice, really quite as flexible, particularly in the case of full floor-to-ceiling height units. Because of the nature of their construction, the panel interlock mechanism of some systems requires the removal of elements perpendicular to the surface of the partition or, in some cases, causes the projection of interlock members above the nominal height of the panel member itself, in order to release an individual panel from its interlocking relationship with adjoining panels.
Panel members, even those for use in full floor-to-ceiling height applications, are generally of lower height than the full floor-to-ceiling distance to allow for variation in the room height along the length of the wall. At the base, the panels may either rest on the floor or on a supporting structure some distance off the floor. A clearance between the wall panel and the ceiling is generally left at the top. Baseboard and ceiling moldings are used to cover the lower and upper clearances, respectively, thereby creating a more aesthetic appearance. These moldings, however, generally extend for lengths greater than the widths of several individual panel members. Because of this, it is not possible to remove individual panel members, particularly where projections either perpendicular to the surface of the member or above and below the member within its plane exist when the panel member is released from its interlocking assembly with adjacent members, without first having to remove a section of baseboard and/or ceiling molding to provide the requisite clearance for extricating the panel member.
A definite need exists, therefore, in the art of partition systems for a structure that is capable not only of being easily assembled with a plurality of like or similar members into a wall of desired length, or of being disassembled when the wall is no longer desired, but also is able to be detached as a single unit from an existing wall when it is desired to either remove such unit or replace it with a similar unit of different functional utility, such as a doorway, without the need to remove adjacent panel members.